Prenatal Pilates: What to Expect in Your First Class

Your first Prenatal Pilates (45 min) class at Serenity Pilates & Wellness should feel calm, clear, and adaptable. Pregnancy changes from week to week, so this class is built around options. Nadia Petrova leads with the same attention to alignment she brings to Reformer Pilates, but the pace, positions, and props are chosen for a changing body.

In the first trimester, class often centers on breath, gentle core connection, posture, and learning how to move without gripping. Some days energy is high; other days nausea or fatigue wins. We keep transitions simple and offer rest without making it a big moment.

In the second trimester, many students feel ready for more standing work, hip stability, glute strength, and upper-back mobility. As the bump grows, we reduce long periods lying flat and use side-lying, kneeling, seated, or supported positions. The goal is strength that supports daily life: getting out of chairs, carrying bags, sleeping more comfortably, and walking with less strain.

In the third trimester, we focus on spacious breathing, pelvic comfort, circulation, and steady movement that leaves you feeling better than when you arrived. You may use a slower range of motion, more props, and extra time between positions. Effort is welcome; strain is not.

Please bring water and grip socks. Secure footing matters, especially when balance feels different than it did a month ago. If you need a pair, we keep grip socks in the studio retail area. Some students also like having our recovery tea blend at home for a quiet evening routine after class.

We recommend getting clearance from your healthcare provider or pelvic health physio before beginning if you are new to exercise, have bleeding, dizziness, significant pelvic pain, placenta concerns, high blood pressure, a high-risk pregnancy, or any instruction to limit activity. If something changes, tell us before class. Prenatal Pilates is most useful when it meets the body you brought in today, not the one you had last week.